While he wasn't drafted, former Western Michigan star Shayne Whittington will still get a shot at the NBA. It was announced Friday afternoon that the former Broncos big man has agreed in principle to sign with the Indiana Pacers. No contract can actually be signed until next week when the NBA's free agency period officially begins.
"I got the phone call from my agent Herb [Rudoy] this morning, and I had an instant smile on my face," said Whittington via a release from WMU. "He said, 'Shayne, you're going to be a Pacer.' It was really emotional, and all I could think to do was call my family and let them know."
Whittington really shined at the Portsmouth Invitational, which is a tournament for college seniors to showcase their skills in front of NBA scouts. In Portsmouth he averaged 19.6 points per game and was named to the all-tournament team, while showing scouts he could play a stretch four at the next level thanks to his solid jump shot.
Unfortunately Whittington’s path to the NBA hit a roadblock when he broke his fibula and strained a ligament in his foot while working out in Chicago. That’s not an easy injury to come back from but Whittington has the right attitude to overcome it.
Whittington’s senior season in Kalamazoo was his best as he put up 16.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent. He came to Kalamazoo as a skinny post player and blossomed into a guy who could put in work around the basket and was a beast on the defensive end.
The Summer League will be Whittington’s next step as he tries to make the Pacers' roster.